Date set for fracking inquiry's return

A date has been set for a Fylde community to fight a bid to frack in its area for the fourth time.

Residents of Roseacre have been told they must go to Blackpool Football Club on April 10 next year along with Lancashire County Council and parish councils to oppose Cuadrilla’s bid to open a shale gas drilling site at Roseacre Wood.

Cuadrilla’s bid was rejected following a six week planning inquiry in 2015 on grounds that the local roads were unsuitable for the number of HGVs needed, but the Government stepped in to give Cuadrilla another chance. A pre-hearing meeting will now take place on October 31 at 11am at the club.

Barbara Richardson from Frack Free Lancashire aid: “Our problem is that Cuadrilla has yet to reveal what their new traffic management plan is for us to counter their arguments.

“The planning inspector refused it on traffic grounds and the lanes in the area are simply too narrow and used by thousands of people for recreation purposes such as cycling, horse riding and rambling.

“Now we have a new planning inspector who will only consider traffic grounds.”

Nick Danby of the Roseacre Awareness Group said: “This is in effect the fourth bite at the cherry Cuadrila have been given after the application was rejected by the councils and the original planning inspector.”